Day 9: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Sunday, 15 August, Archbishop Stephen Brislin reflects on Mary Assumed into Heaven – Celebrating with us now the hope and joy of all people being reconciled and restored in Jesus.

This video is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please share these daily reflections on your parish WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Thank you for joining this final Novena reflection. I wish you and all your loved ones a blessed and joyful Feast Day. Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul, a mystery rich in meaning and profound in the promise it holds out to humanity. It is interesting that the “Dogma of Assumption” does not simply state that Mary was assumed into heaven, but it specifies “that Mary was taken body and soul” into heaven. We often think of ourselves as somehow being made up of different constitutive parts – spirit, soul and body. These are aspects of personhood, but the mystery of the Assumption affirms strongly the integrity of the human person, in other words, the unity and wholeness of the person. A person cannot be cut up into different parts, although we recognize that there are different aspects such as the physical, the spiritual and the soul. All are necessary to make a person a person, and the Assumption of Mary displays this clearly – she was not only saved by Jesus and assumed in a spiritual way into heaven, but also bodily. It is our belief that the whole person is saved and not just one aspect.

Similarly with the Ascension of Jesus. After Jesus rose from the dead he was at pains to demonstrate to his disciples that he was not a ghost or purely spiritual being – thus, he requested some fish to eat, saying that ghosts don’t eat. He instructed Thomas to place his finger and hand in his wounds to prove that he was flesh and blood. Jesus’ bodily resurrection and ascension is the destiny that is offered to all of us, and this is affirmed by the Assumption of Our Lady who, like us, was a disciple of Jesus.

Of what importance is this to us? There can be a tendency for some to place undue emphasis on the material aspect of humanity and to deny a spiritual side, to seek only satisfaction of the body to the of neglect the spiritual. On the other hand, there are those who over-spiritualize their human life and who think that the body is of no consequence, thinking it finite and subject to decay, and believing that it is only the spirit that will be saved. It is vital to understand the importance and integrity of the human person, even in everyday life. For example, health Care, Education, Town Planning, etc., all of these need to take into account that a person is not only a physical being, but has spiritual and emotional needs as well.

This tendency to “divide” the human person occurs because there can be discord within ourselves. Even Jesus said, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”¹. St Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, I do not understand my own actions….For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do². We sometimes feel that we are at “war” within ourselves, that we are being pulled in different directions because we do not subject ourselves to our will, but are drawn by forces within ourselves that we don’t fully understand. Sometimes are will rebels, even against our better judgement. There is a need to reconcile those forces within us. To reconcile means to make things compatible with each other. Christian maturity is to make the different aspects of our personhood compatible with each so that we are able to align the will with the flesh, the soul with the body, and to mould them into a unity and oneness, so that our “yes” is “yes” and our “no” is “no”³. In this way we respond to our Christian vocation and our path to sanctification as we seek to belong fully to Christ, body, spirit and soul – the total person.⁴

Our Christian vocation is not confined to personal sanctification. We are all called to mission, to be bearers of the light of Christ to the world. Just as we wish to bring wholeness to the disconnectedness within ourselves, we have a responsibility to bring wholeness to our community and to our society. In other words – in the words of St Paul – we are Christ’s ambassadors entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation⁵. The miracle of the Assumption urges us to go beyond a personal quest to be fully integrated as persons, and to bring healing, unity and wholeness to others, especially in the society in which we live.The mystical Body of Christ is broken and suffering just as Jesus’ physical body was broken on the Cross. Divisions and conflicts exist wherever there are people. They exist in our country which continues to be divided by its past, suffering because of the present and uncertain of the future. How fortunate we are to have Mary Assumed into Heaven as the Patroness of South Africa. Her intercession and protection do not only inspire us to continue the work of reconciliation and healing, but they also give us the hope and confidence that our efforts will bear fruit. We should not shrink from the task at hand but, like Mary, we should respond generously to integrating and gathering people into harmony and a peaceful acceptance of each other.

Let us now pray the Memorare:

Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary,

Never was it know that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help and sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto unto thee O Virgin of virgins, my Mother, to thee I come, before thee I kneel sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me, amen.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son…

Mary, Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.

1 Matthew 26:41

2 Romans 7:15;19

3 Matthew 5:37

4 1 Corinthians 3:23

5 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Day 8: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Saturday, 14 August, Fr Peter-John Pearson reflects on Mary assumed into Heaven, praying with us for a radical transformation of us as a nation.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Both the social upheaval and the pandemic have reminded us that we need hearts and minds and systems that are more inclusive and loud, unambiguous demands for social justice that are more direct and strategic. It has been noted frequently that the both the pandemic and the social unrest in our country have foregrounded that inclusion and naming our needs are the two dominant signs of the times.

We are challenged by this feast not least because it is the feast of dignity, of integrity. In a country where for centuries the dignity of the majority was denied, where every policy and the social environment fell short of any kind of integrity, the gift of this feast as our patronal feast was and remains, hugely, a challenge to restore dignity and nurture a culture of integrity. The increasing poverty, the glaring injustices, the legacy of racism, the spiralling unemployment, the spikes in gender based violence and the great theft from the poor which is seen in the rampant corruption and the subversion of good governance and accountability all underline that this feast speaks as powerfully to our present reality as it spoke to our cruel past. Mary’s public witness underlines spells out the consequences of our devotion.

The events of recent weeks have reminded us that social cohesion in our country is weak, that many are left out, feel no sense of belonging and that far too many are abandoned on the margins. They live in an environment where they have no voice, where there is no hope of participating in shaping their future.

I have always been deeply struck by that powerful narrative of the Visitation. Mary and Elizabeth meet. Two women with unusual, awkward stories, stories that do not fit the norm. They meet and share a space where only their voices are heard. Zachariah has been silenced. There is no dominant group’s voice, no male voice, no institutional voice. The voices that usually exclude or interpret the stories of the excluded are silent and the voices of the women fill that space. They speak for themselves, interpret their reality, find their agency. No one speaks for them. They need neither a man nor an institution to speak for them. If we take the feast seriously, if we understand the pain of exclusion and the silencing of the voices of the poor and women and migrants and those on the peripheries, then we will surely put our energy on this feast into making space for the excluded voices, designing systems especially economic systems that allows for an experience of justice that in turns honours’ every person’s dignity. We must ensure that excluded voices in every sphere find public expression no matter how unsettling they may be.

There is of course another Marian text which John includes in his gospel. It is the story of the wedding at Cana. Mary understands that something is missing which is critical for the joy of the couple and for a preservation of the dignity. She makes the demand urgently, stridently almost and definitely unambiguously. They have no wine! We look around and we see that there are many basic rights which undermine people’s dignity, compromise their integrity and rob them of joy, just as the lack of wine did for the wedding couple. They have, and in our world-they have no education, no sanitation, no protection against gender based violence, no water, no houses. The list is as endless as it is unjust. The consequence of our devotion must surely be that like Mary we name boldly the things that are denied, the rights that are compromised. To not join in these demands is to have reduced Mary to a plastic piety. She who was raised from amidst the anawim is fearless in raising her voice alongside her cousins and singing that Magnificat that calls for a season of pulling down the mighty from their thrones and raising the lowly, that challenges us to send the rich empty away and to fill the hungry with good things. It is Mary who in a public space at a wedding calls for a reversal of want and need of basic necessities and demands the ‘best wine,’ the best houses, toilets, schools and security for all. In that way we hour Mary Assumed into Heaven and ensure that the Kingdom of this world becomes the Kingdom of our God.

Amen.

Day 7: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Friday, 13 August, Fr Bonginkosi Nhleko SDB reflects on Mary as Mother and Help of Christians.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Welcome friends to this novena reflection in preparation to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, Patroness of South Africa. I’d like to focus on Mary, Mother and Help of Christians

The Wedding at Cana

John 2:1-11

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Mary is one of the most famous women in history, an exemplar of purity. But what do we really know about this young Jewish girl named Miriam who became the mother of Jesus? We meet her at the start of the Gospel According to Luke and learn that “the angel Gabriel was sent from God to … a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. She was a young Jewish girl from Nazareth, a small community where nothing of note ever seemed to happen. She could never have fathomed that God would choose her. Yet when the Angel Gabriel revealed her fate, she willingly did as asked because of loving devotion to the Lord.

But Mary could not have foreseen her child’s future, his ministry and miracles, his agonizing death, and the glorious Resurrection. Throughout, Mary cared for, followed, and loved her Son. To such a woman is owed special respect, and many have elevated her above all other humans. She is seen as the seminal mother, the nurturing parent, the patient guardian, the paragon of virtue, the symbol of human sacrifice, suffering, and love.

Mary is the great Mediatrix, the mediator between humans and Christ, first witnessed during the Wedding at Cana. The celebration ran out of wine, and Mary quickly interceded by encouraging her son to Help. As the mother of God and the great intercessor, she helps bring about miracles. Because of this, millions of the faithful pray to her and make their way to her shrines, which are found around the world in Lourdes, Fatima, Rwanda and Ngome, among other places. As the Mediatrix, Mary has appeared to people over the centuries. There are many, many claims of visitations by her. Mary can seem ever present, appearing in paintings, literature, and music. Much of this is because people cherish her. They call to her, and when she responds, often offers mysterious messages letting them know of upcoming events, warning of harm, and celebrating accomplishments. She is truly a Help of Christians, a Help of All Humanity. She cares for all peoples of the earth.

What St. John Bosco once said years ago could be said today: “The times we are in are so sad that we truly need the Most Holy Virgin to help us in preserving and defending the Christian Faith as in Lepanto, as in Vienna, as in Savona and Rome.” We can combat the harm in our times by turning to Mary. The promise of St. John Bosco to his boys is a promise that is good for all of us today: “Trust in Mary and you will know what miracles are!”

Prayer:

Let us pray…

Lord our God, You chose the Virgin Mary to be the Mother and Help of Christians; by her prayers give to the Church of South Africa the strength of your Spirit so that with patience and love its members may overcome every trial and share even now in the victory of Christ, your Son. He lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Fr Bonginkosi Nhleko SDB

Day 6: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Thursday, 12 August, Fr Phillip Mangatt MSFS reflects on Mary encouraging us to serve the people of South Africa in love and justice.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Novena Reflection – Assumption of Our Blessed Mother Download

Day 5: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Wednesday, 11 August, Fr Anthony Padua CSsR, reflects on Mary as Model of Missionaries.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

MARY – MODEL OF MISSIONARIES.

A warm welcome to everyone who loves our Blessed Mother and who is preparing to celebrate the Feast of her Assumption into heaven.

My reflection today is entitled: Mary, Assumed into heaven, model of missionaries.

A scriptural text I love reading in Luke 1:39 is “Mary set out and went with haste to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went to Zachariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.”

A question many today ask – what is a missionary?

Who are called to be missionaries?

Like Mary, a missionary is one who goes with haste into a situation to bring God’s love and salvation into the lives of those who need the Presence of God.

Pope Francis reminds us that all of us are called to be missionaries. Pope Francis puts it beautifully when he calls the Church a “field hospital” caring for the wounded of society. His concern for ‘missionary zeal’ makes him cry out: “Let us go forth, then, to offer everyone the life of Jesus Christ”

He continues: More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures that will give us a false sense of security… while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: “Give them something to eat.” Mark 6:37.

We are called to be missionaries like Mary and the Apostles.

I personally know of a few families in my parish who work as a team (husband, wife and children) who visit the sick and lonely, who bring comfort to the bereaved, who have turned their homes into soup kitchens for the poor. Others with the joy of the Gospel go out into the streets to feed the homeless and those in high density areas. These are the Missionaries of today, who have been inspired by our Catholic Faith and our Blessed Mother.

There are also wonderful, zealous, selfless groups of men and women, who under the patronage of Mary our Mother, are inspired by her life, who are Apostles of love today:

To name a few:

Legion of Mary

St Vincent de Paul

Catholic Woman’s Group

Men’s Group

Neo-Catechumens and many other groups.

These men and women are not scared of embracing the poor and rejected, of loving them and touching their lives with the salvation of Jesus. They are not ‘scared of smelling like the sheep they serve’, to use Pope Francis’s words.

As we pray this Novena, let us ask Mary, Assumed into heaven to inspire us to become missionaries as she was and still is, by bringing Jesus, her son, the message of Redemption into a broken world.

May those countless men and women who follow in her footsteps continue to live as missionaries bringing into our world, acceptance, love, abundance, and plentiful redemption.

Mary Assumed into heaven and Queen of missionaries,

Pray for us.

THE CATENA

Antiphon. Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

My soul glorifies the Lord. *
My spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on His servant in her lowliness; *
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

The Almighty works marvels for me. *
Holy His name!
His mercy is from age to age, *
on those who fear Him.

He puts forth His arm in strength*
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones*
and raises the lowly.

He fills the starving with good things, *
sends the rich away empty.

He protects Israel His servant, *
remembering His mercy,
The mercy promised to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his sons for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon. Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

V. O Mary, conceived without sin.
R. Pray for us who have recourse to you.

Day 4: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Tuesday, 10 August, Fr Nkululeko Meyiwa OMI, reflects on Mary as Model of Discipleship.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Mary Assumed into Heaven – Model of Discipleship

Welcome, friends, to this novena reflection in preparation to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, Patroness of South Africa.

I would like to focus On Mary, the Model of Discipleship. We will reflect on the words of Mary’s response to God’s invitation: as found in the Gospel of St Luke 1:38.

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your words.”

This response of Mary to the invitation from God, sets the tone for the type of discipleship Mary was to model. Her Yes to Gods invitation changed everything for her and the entire history of our salvation. This Yes was not about her but the fulfilment of God’s will for generations to come. In this manner; Mary accepts and recognises the act of God in her, not as her doing but purely God’s doing. Such a disposition of Mary is notable throughout her mission as a mother, wife and disciple: there are no expectations, no demands or any form of superiority on her part, but rather she remains a humble servant. Her discipleship, therefore, is characterised by total surrender to God’s will, there is no other motive but to serve God in his people. Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation (Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel) Pope Francis called Mary the mother of Evangelization. “With the Holy Spirit,he writes, Mary is always present in the midst of the people… As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love.” She remains true to her calling even now.

All creation, especially human beings, has been afforded the gift to hear and choose God over everything. However, it remains one’s choice to say Yes to God’s invitation. Just like in Mary, God does not impose on us but rather invites us continuously to be his ambassadors in his created world. This, therefore, calls for an honest reflection on whatever vocation we have been called to: to revisit our YES. In revisiting our Yes to God’s invitation we need to reflect deeply on the following questions:

*Has it been about God all along or about me?

*Whose will has been at play?

*Am I honestly able to echo the words of Mary anew: ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to you word.’

Let us pray: God our Loving Father, you have given us Mary as our Mother and Model of faith. May we emulate her discipleship in all that you have called us to. Help us to be of service to you as we serve your creation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

May the blessing of the Almighty God remain with us: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Day 3: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Monday, 9 August, Fr Anstey Kay OFM Cap, reflects on Mary as Mother of the Church.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

Mary (Assumed into Heaven), Mother of the Church

Br Anstey Lawrence Kay OFM Cap

(Submitted 30 July 2021; please note that this written transcript is not an exact reflection of the video presentation.)

Welcome brothers and sisters to this novena reflection in preparation for the celebration the Assumption of Mary, Patroness of South Africa. Today, I would like to share with you a little thought about Mary, as Mother of the Church… I read to you from the Book of Samuel, chapter 1, verse 24-27, (called the Consecration of Samuel):

“Oh my lord, as my soul lives, I am the woman who stood beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted the request that I made of him. ²⁸Therefore, I have dedicated him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” So, they worshiped the Lord there.

My dear brothers and sisters, we can see from this short piece of scripture how Hanna is a figure of Mary the mother of Jesus. From this, we get a brief sense of what motherhood means… and it is as the best of mothers know, a mother’s heart’s desire to want the best for the children.

Before we turn to Mary, under yet another holy title, like mother of the Church, let us stop to appreciate what the simplest of mother’s are wanting for their children today… as our children seek a decent education, opportunities to work, as they struggle with hardship, like poverty, addiction as well as physical and mental illness… there is so much, our mothers could pray about…

If you can appreciate the struggle of mothers today… then as you bow your head in humble prayer… be wise to also pray looking up… up into the heavens. Your life, and the life we hope for, will only begin to be renewed, when we know our destination… Learn to know your destination, and know too where you are starting from. Yes, on this fragile earth we can rightly be frustrated about where we are at, among the many victims of a pandemic, but look up… for where Mary is we hope to follow… to conceive in your minds the highest virtue ‘personified’, is to conceive of her who was conceived immaculately… Mary’s prayer, does not end with the Magnificat, praising God for her Son, the Christ… we are by faith, her spiritual children, and she prays for us too.

Consider the chaos of our life and times… and begin the reform this world needs, by beginning to look up… Identify the Mother, and motherhood society has rejected… Look up to the virtues, that wish to be reclaimed by spoilt and wayward children… Be proud not to be spiritual orphans… I shall never forget the words, of the late Archbishop, Lawrence Henry, he was visiting St Mary of the Angels in Athlone once… and as a I little boy I heard him preach these words… “The Angels, call Mary, Queen of Heaven, but are we not yet happier to call her Mother.”

May Almighty God bless us, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Day 2: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Sunday, 8 August, Bishop Frank de Gouveia, reflects on when and why she become Patroness of South Africa?.

The text of the video is provided below, especially for those who are deaf.

“Welcome to this novena reflection as we prepare to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, Patroness of South Africa. Today we focus on: “When and why Mary Assumed into Heaven, became Patroness of South Africa”?

When, in 1950 Pope Pius XII formally defined and promulgated the dogma that Mary, “was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven”, he hoped that this would be of pastoral benefit for the people of God. And so in the encyclical which he wrote at the time, he says:

“It is to be hoped that from meditation on the glorious example of Mary [people] may come to realize more and more the value of a human life entirely dedicated to fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father and to caring for the welfare of others.”

Human life is sacred. Caring for the welfare of others is of prime importance. God created us all to know, love and serve him. Mary dedicated her whole life, body and soul, to carrying out God’s plan. And so at the end of her life on earth she was taken up body and soul into heaven.

The human person, the human body, is created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ and destined for glory. In 1950 the world needed to hear this message proclaimed loud and clear

People were still coming to terms with the devastating effects of World War II in which 75 million people lost their lives. The majority of these were civilians. Nazi Germany, as part of a deliberate programme of extermination, systematically killed over 11 million people including 6 million Jews. The world was shocked. How could we do this to one another? How will we recover?

The Church’s answer was: Look to Mary. Follow her example. Be obedient to God and carry out God’s intentions for the human race. Value human life. Respect the dignity of all. Be concerned for their welfare, their well-being.

At about the same time in South Africa, new apartheid laws were being promulgated. In 1951 Pope Pius XII established the hierarchy of the Church in southern Africa, and the following year 1952, the Bishops’ Conference issued its first pronouncement against racism. Clearly we in South Africa needed to hear the same message the world received with the promulgation of the dogma of the Assumption. In May 1952 Pope Pius XII proclaimed Our Lady Assumed into Heaven as patroness of South Africa. This was celebrated at a Marian Congress held in Durban to mark the centenary of the arrival of the first missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

And so today in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, in the aftermath of rioting and looting in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng, and taxi wars in the Western Cape, may we follow the example of Mary and come to realize more and more the value of a human life entirely dedicated to fulfilling the will of God and to caring for the welfare of others.

We conclude with part of the prayer prayed in 1952 when South Africa was consecrated to Mary assumed into Heaven.

O Queen, assumed into Heaven, with one voice we acclaim you our Heavenly Patroness, and with filial love we consecrate to you our country and our people. Through your prayers, O gracious Mother, may your Son be known and loved throughout South Africa; may His Kingdom flourish in our land, a Kingdom of justice, truth and peace. Teach us to follow in His footsteps, firm in the faith, obedient to His law, subjecting soul and body to His holy sway; that when our mortal life is ended, we may gaze upon His face in Heaven and share, as you, O blessed Mother, do already, the glory of His Resurrection. Amen.

Day 1: Novena in Preparation to Celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption

As we prepare to celebrate our patronal feast, Mary Assumed into Heaven, each day of our novena clergy of the Archdiocese of Cape Town will offer reflections on Our Lady.

In this reflection for Saturday, 7 August, Bishop Sylvester David OMI, reflects on the meaning and significance of this feast.

This video is also available on the Archdiocese of Cape Town’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Please share these daily reflections on your parish WhatsApp groups and other platforms.

The text of the video is also offered below, for those who are deaf.

Bishop S. David OMI. Reflection on the Solemnity of the Assumption

This solemnity has a lot more to do with us than we realise. It celebrates the fulfilment of the promise that those who are faithful to Christ will share eternity with him.

The gospel text for the feast itself is that of the Visitation. Mary had just made her first communion – she had received Jesus for the first time. And what does she do? She makes haste and goes on a missionary journey which brings so much joy to an older woman that even the child in the older one leaps for joy. How nice if we could bring joy to others like that. It is often said that there is a child in each of us. This inner child represents innocence, helplessness and the ability to say it like it is. Think of how many of our complexes would be resolved if this child is allowed to articulate itself from time to time.

I think it is important to note how our Gospel text starts: the original states ‘arising in those days Mary went to the hill country …’ The attentive Bible reader will note that the word arising is in fact a resurrection word and will know that as soon as Mary said yes to God she started to share in the resurrection. Mary being assumed into heaven should come as no surprise to us. Next the attentive bible reader will ask: ‘in which days?’ and if attentive enough will realise that the phrase ‘in those days’ is a formula which introduces the new covenant in Jeremiah 31. In fact, that formula occurs four times in the context of the new covenant. It signals the promise of new blessings, restoration to the Promised Land, and a new and more intimate relationship with God. The Bible reader will then realise that the time for the fulfilment of the new covenant has come. In the annunciation and the word taking flesh God is fulfilling the ancient promises. Do you think it is mere coincidence that the new covenant is quoted verbatim and in its entirety when the priestly work of Jesus Christ is described in the 8th chapter of Hebrews?

Elizabeth’s response would remind the attentive Bible reader of what David said when the ark of the first covenant was brought to him: ‘why should the ark of the Lord be brought to me?’ Now Elizabeth asks why the ark of the new covenant should be brought to her. God is indeed doing something new. What a pity it would be if we do not embrace this newness.

I wish you a joyful celebration of the fulfilment of God’s promise in your own life, in your own family and in our Archdiocese.